Psychology Seminar Series - Don’t forget the milk! Different approaches to train prospective memory

Researchers have found that up to 70% of our daily memory problems are related to forgetting previously set goals, such as forgetting to buy milk on the way home. This kind of memory is called Prospective Memory, and it is highly important for everyday wellbeing and to keep people functioning as independently as possible in their lives. Prospective memory is not only associated to memory but also to executive functioning, cognitive control, and attention. As such, it is an everyday competence that is relevant across the entire lifespan from childhood to older age. 

In this talk, I will discuss different approaches to train prospective memory focusing on restorative and compensatory trainings. Furthermore, I will present new digital avenues using Virtual Reality to train prospective memory in older adults and children with ADHD. To do so, we developed a Virtual Reality based environment called Virtual Day that simulates real life with different daily goals to perform.